Brief Lapse in Judgement (Delena)
by Shay59317
Summary: Elena finds Katherine's photo in Stefan's room after they slept together, and goes to run off but gets entangled in the disastrous web of Damon Salvatore. She wants to do right by Stefan, but Damon's most certainly not one to play fair. Rated M for a reason. (Alternate ending to my other fic.)
1. Lapse in Judgement

**Brief Lapse in Judgement**

Elena lay comfortably in Stefan's bed, contently gazing around his room in wonder. She'd never been in his room before, and it was interesting to see each of the little trinkets that he still carried over the century and a half that he'd been a vampire. Elena wore Stefan's long-sleeved forest green button up with the cotton sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and a simple pair of navy blue satin boy shorts that Caroline had thrown at her when they had gone lingerie shopping. Stefan's sheets curled around her waist, still rumpled from their recent lovemaking.

Stefan lay sprawled on her left breathing deeply in his slumber. One of his hands laid reassuringly atop her stomach, spread apart like a starfish, keeping her in place, while the other rested beneath his pillow. It was peaceful moments like these with Stefan that made Elena fall all the more in love with him. She heard a little sigh escape his lips.

"It's considered rude to stare ya know." Stefan murmured into his pillow, slowly turning to face her while blinking the sleep adorably out of his eyes.

"If you were awake, I could do more than just stare at you." A genuine smile crossed his lips and he rolled over until he hovered over her.

"You couldn't have woken me sooner? Vampires don't need sleep; allows for great stamina." His forehead met hers, their noses brushing softly together.

"You looked so peaceful, I couldn't have woken you if I even tried." She breathed. Their lips molded together gently in an age old dance, tongues tangling together as their faces brushed impossibly closer to one another. Through it all their eyes stayed locked on one another, reassuring the other that they weren't going anywhere. Unfortunately, one of them needed to breathe, bringing an end to their moment.

"I love you." Stefan vowed sweetly.

"I love you too." She returned swiftly and honestly.

Their lips fused together once more for a longer period, only breaking apart for air when absolutely necessary. Just as they were about to start another round, Elena's stomach gave a loud growl, alerting Stefan immediately to her growing hunger.

At Elena's annoyed groan, Stefan chuckled, "How about I make breakfast?"

Elena pouted, "I'd rather you keep me company in this large bed."

"Breakfast in bed it is then." Stefan proposed quickly while silently agreeing with her. He wanted to continue their previous activities, and would love to stay with her in his room making love all day, but her human needs came first. Before she could protest, he silenced her with another kiss.

"I'll be quick." He promised, throwing on some sweats before flashing downstairs to their kitchen. Less than a minute later, Stefan comes into the room with a sheepish expression on his handsome face. "We're out of food…" Stefan shakes his head disappointedly and continues, "I'll have to make a quick trip to the store."

Elena groaned once more, and moved to protest but it died in her throat. Their previous ventures had made her ravenous for some sort of sustenance, and she couldn't ignore the growing ache in her stomach. She beckoned him over to her, to which he happily obliged, and proceeded to plant a lingering kiss on his lips.

"Hurry back." She smiled softly at him as he strode out the door. Once the sound of the Salvatore's front door being shut echoed around the house, Elena let out a lonely sigh and continued to gander around the room for several minutes. Her stomach grumbled hungrily once more, and in an effort to ignore it, she got up to go search around Stefan's room.

Starting at the bookshelf, she looked curiously at the spines of the books for their titles and couldn't help gasping when she saw a couple first editions in his collection. At further inspection, a couple of his first editions had signatures from the authors themselves. To be honest, when Elena first found out that Stefan and his brother were immortal vampires, she didn't have the time to really figure out what that meant. The Salvatore brothers had spent lifetimes on this earth, wandering from city to city, and experienced the day to day life of each decade.

The Salvatore brothers must have witnessed so much history, a subject that immensely fascinated Elena; the idea of it all was truly a wonder. Just thinking of the stories that they could tell of their travels caused a wave of awe to suddenly rip through her gut. Making a mental note to persuade Stefan into telling her a couple stories from his past, Elena moved on in her search.

A photo album soon caught Elena's attention, but just as she was about to open it, a thought struck her, making her cease entry. Would Stefan think this as an invasion of privacy? She didn't know what was in that album, and she knew that even though they're dating, Stefan probably wouldn't want her to be snooping around his things without his permission. Elena made a move to set down the album back into its place on the bookshelf when a lone photo fell out of the album and onto the floor. The faded white of the back of the photo stared up at her from the floor.

From the back, the photo looked worn, and she couldn't tell if it was taken when cameras were first made, or when mini portraits were still being painted. Elena didn't know why a feeling of unease swept over her as she reached down to carefully pick up the fragile photo in front of her, turning it over to look at it when her curiosity trumped the better of her.

She soon found out why when the photo was flipped over. All of the air seemed to have been sucked out of her lungs as she studied the photo. Elena was looking at _herself_ in an old fashioned dress with beautiful brunette curls framing her face as she smiling angelically at the painter. A subtle mischievous sparkle resided within the eyes of her mirror image, contradicting the innocent smile curling on her full lips.

The questions that scrambled around her head vanished, and a feeling of something cold and sinister began to seep into her bones. A glance at the writing beneath the photo confirmed the feeling: _Katherine Pierce, 1864_.

A tirade of emotions swept through Elena, crippling her and making it hard for her to think straight. With shaky hands, Elena dropped the photo face up onto a wooden table as she began to back away disbelievingly from the photo. _No. Stefan wouldn't do that to her. Would he? Then why hadn't he told her that she looked exactly like his ex-girlfriend? Was she just the rebound that Damon had hinted at when they'd first met?_

Elena's nails dug into her palms, nearly drawing blood, as another wave of emotions overwhelmed her. Confusion, anxiety, disbelief, anger, heartbreak, sadness—to name a few—were just a few of the many that attacked her conscious viciously. She had to get away to fully process the information she'd just obtained. She had to run before she broke down, before Stefan came back. Elena didn't want to be near nor reminded of Stefan at the moment. Especially not when she found out that his ex could practically be her twin after they'd slept together. Tears began to gather in her eyes. _Was everything he said a lie? His feelings too?_ Elena didn't know.

Gathering her clothes where they'd been scattered the night before, Elena was quick to slip them on after leaving Stefan's in a heap at the foot of the bed. Then she stumbled out of the room, trying to escape the confines of Stefan's room without breaking down. Another realization hitting her caused Elena to freeze just outside of his door. She was tired of crying. Ever since her parents' funeral she felt that's all she'd been doing, and she wanted—no needed—it to stop. She was a big girl now, and needed to face the situation head on.

 _I'll be needing some liquid courage tonight for sure_ , Elena thought tiredly and trudged down the steps in search of Damon's private stash of bourbon. Minutes of searching later, Elena was pouring herself a large glass of the strong alcohol and plopping down onto the couch to wait for her boyfriend's impending arrival.

Halfway through the glass she heard a throat being cleared. The strength of the alcohol had already made her deliciously tipsy, so she hadn't been coherent enough to care about his echoing footsteps until he was entirely too close.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Damon chastised from behind her before she felt the glass being snatched from her hand.

"Hey!" Elena yelped, reaching over him to grab the glass. Damon smacked her hand away from the glass with a flick of his wrist.

"Nope, not gonna happen, Gilbert. Not 'til you tell me what's got you so mopey." The drink was already causing Elena's emotions to go a little haywire, which in turn made her more on the honest side than she would be under the usual circumstances. So it was no surprise when she could feel herself begin to tear up once again. Her lips began to quiver, and in an effort to halt the sign of weakness, she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, effectively drawing his attention to her lips. God he wanted to bite those deliciously tempting lips of hers. They were so similar to the ones he'd been familiar with a century before. Damon wondered what they'd look like after he'd kissed her senseless, making them engorged with blood. _Would they darken into a rosy color rather than their usual delicate pink?_ And the taste… _Would she taste as sweet as she looked?_ Damon sure wanted to find out. The air thickened ominously around them as tension rose.

"It's nothing." Elena mumbled. Damon rolled his eyes.

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't have gotten into my liquor." Damon shot back, calling out her bullshit.

"Since when do you care?" She retorted, crossing her arms across her chest with her eyes narrowed in his direction.

"Once _my_ bourbon got involved, _I_ got involved sweetheart." Damon spoke as if this was the most obvious statement in the world. Elena released an exasperated sigh and stood swiftly. She walked over to grab another glass, ignoring his scowl, and poured herself some more of the inebriating beverage. The teenager was quick to gulp down the contents of her glass and refilled it just as quickly.

"I found the picture of Katherine in Stefan's room." She conceded tensely after a moment of silence. Her jaw clenched at the thought of being used. She'd only been with one other guy before, and she broke his heart. _Was this the universe's revenge?_ Break someone else's heart just to have hers broken in return. If that's the case, then karma really _is_ a bitch.

"I'd always wondered when you'd find out…" Damon trailed off at the look of fire she sent him. Her glare set his skin aflame in the most peculiar way. He honestly didn't think anyone could've turned him on as much as she could with just a single look. If he thought it'd been intense with Katherine while he was human, then boy was he in for a ride. The amount of fire and passion in her eyes threatened to consume him, and a large part of him wanted that to happen. But he wasn't sure if he could stand the aftermath. Would he be able to stop after having just a _taste_ of the forbidden fruit?

"You knew?!" Elena spat vehemently at him along with a glare. Damon's eyebrows rose in mock surprise.

" _No_. I've never seen Katherine before in my life." Damon lashed sarcastically. "Of course I knew. She _did_ turn me and Stefan, but you already knew that."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Elena interrogated him.

"It wasn't my place to tell you. You're dating Stefan, not me, remember?" Damon explained before taking a swig of bourbon. Elena's gaze rested on him for a long while, scrutinizing him. Her gaze left him feeling weirdly exposed, more exposed than he'd ever felt before, and he'd been a part of many one night stands. She released a sigh, finishing her glass with a large swig, and refilled it once more.

"Yeah, well maybe I should be…" She muttered in a voice barely audible to herself, but Damon heard her just fine as if she'd yelled it to him from across the room. His eyes bugged out, and he gaped at her. Yet she didn't turn to look up at him, for she was too busy staring into the depths of her glass of bourbon. He wondered if she'd realized the significance of what she'd just said, or maybe if it was just the alcohol talking.

"What?" Damon stared at her more intently now, searching for any sign of doubt on her face. Her head snapped up to look him head on, a scarlet blush grazing over her cheeks.

"Did I say that out loud?" Elena's embarrassment grew at his nod of confirmation. She swallowed hard and looked down at the clean floor. Damon ghosted towards her until he kneeled down in front of her, putting his face in her line of sight. His only indication that he had her attention was the way her breath hitched as his icy blue eyes met her own.

"Say it again." Damon demanded, grazing his fingers across her cheek. The simple touch ignited her skin aflame, seeming to lick at her from just beneath the surface. Everything seemed to freeze, the only thing that existed was the feeling of his skin against hers, and the look he was giving her. Damon's eyes smoldered, and if she thought it were ever possible, they could've melted the polar icecaps with the amount of raw heat that exuded from them. Her teeth pierced her bottom lip as he dared her to repeat her previous statement. _There's no going back now_ , Elena thought as a flash of confidence surged through her.

"I said, maybe I should be." Elena surveyed his reaction, receiving none as a blank mask rested across his features.

"Maybe you should be _what_?" Damon prodded further, praying she wouldn't lose her nerve, and that she would clarify her vague statement. Hope exploded in his gut when she leaned into his hand, now pressing it firmly against her warm cheek. The sound of her heartbeat rising caused hunger to sink its claws into him, yet it wasn't his thirst that demanded his attention.

"Maybe I should be with _you_ , not him." Elena couldn't bring herself to say Stefan's name. Not during a moment like this. Not while Damon was holding her like this, and looking at her with those darkening blue irises of his.

That was all he needed for him to practically lunge forward, caging her in his arms, and capture her lips with his. The sudden force of him on top of her caused her to fall backwards until she landed with her back pushed into the cushions of the couch. The couch squeaked with the sudden impact of two bodies, and the sound seemed to echo in the otherwise silent house. Every inch of him weighed on her, covering her completely as they continued to exchange heated kisses. The fire that had been simmering beneath the surface was quick to become a raging inferno. Elena let it overwhelm her senses completely, tangling and twisting her fingers into his raven hair, tugging on it to bring him intoxicatingly closer. The closer he got, the more his unique scent flooded up her nostrils, and she couldn't get enough of it; Elena couldn't get enough of _him_. A particularly hard tug of his hair elicited a growl from deep within his chest. Soon, air became a necessity for the human doppelganger and she broke away from him, panting into open air as Damon trailed kisses down her jaw and neck, pausing to nip and suck at the sensitive patches of skin he found along the way.

"Bedroom." Elena ordered.

Damon didn't need to be told twice, and without so much as a second thought, he flashed them to his bedroom. All but one thought disappeared, but it was quick to retreat within the shadows. _Will he be able to go back after he'd gotten a taste of the forbidden fruit?_

* * *

"Damon, stop," Elena giggled, "that tickles." Damon smirked against her skin and continued to plant butterfly kisses on every inch of skin that he could reach, ignoring her weak protest. As he placed lingering kisses along her jaw and down her neck, she surveyed him. He seemed different somehow, lighter almost. When he kissed her, looked at her, he didn't smirk; an actual smile lit his face, and Damon was acting more playful than she'd ever seen him before. Elena couldn't identify the looks he sent her when he thought she wasn't looking, and she wasn't sure how they made her feel. It certainly wasn't something bad; it brought about thrill and anticipation.

Damon couldn't seem to keep his hands off of the beautiful brunette in his arms, keeping her pulled snugly against him as he continued his playful advances.

"Never." Damon vowed as he looked at her intensely with the tip of his nose brushing against her cheek, looking deep within the hazel depths of her eyes. His voice held a promise. Of what, she wasn't sure.

Elena's lips met his, hers catching his own when he began to dodge her own teasingly. She hummed against his mouth contentedly and softly ran her fingers through the soft and dark locks she found atop his head. His response was to tighten his arm around her waist and kiss her firmly. The sheets surrounding them twisted around them, tangling the two closer together, and moved to accommodate them with every twist and turn of their bodies. As both their hands began to wonder, each caught up in their own all-consuming lust, Damon froze. Something like an irritable whine sprung from his throat along with a silent curse.

"What is it?" Elena stiffened along with him.

"Stefan's home." Damon murmured to her as quietly as he could, not wanting to chance his brother hearing them. If it was any possible, Elena grew tenser and her eyes widened as she gazed into the cerulean orbs belonging to one Damon Salvatore.

"Where's he now?" Elena replied urgently, gripping him tighter as if for reassurance. _What happened to the confident girl that was ready to confront Stefan the moment he got home?_ Oh, that's right; she fucked his brother while he was off getting groceries from the store.

"He's pulling the car in." Damon scrutinized her face for a reaction and only found panic along with a smidge of guilt. His hands moved to cradle her face gently and he began tracing small soothing circles on her cheeks with both thumbs. She let loose a shaky breath and looked at him pleadingly. He understood immediately and pulled away from her reluctantly with a disappointed sigh to throw on his clothes. While doing so he shot her a fleeting look, one full of seduction and promise; they'd pick up where they left off later.

"I'll distract my brother while you grab my keys and wait in the car. Got it?" Damon raised an eyebrow at her. Elena nodded energetically towards him and jumped up to find and pull on her own apparel.

The vampire stared after her for a beat, briefly pondering why he wasn't rubbing it in Stefan's face that _he_ got the girl. He shook away the thought as he thought of Elena's panic upon the notion that she might come face to face with Stefan. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice the human walk confidently up to him until her face was inches from his own.

Elena noticed his preoccupation and leaned forward, closing the short distance to place a deep kiss on his mouth before removing herself to look at him expectantly. Damon heard Stefan's quiet footsteps as he walked around the kitchen along with the occasional sound of pots and pans being stirred. Go, Elena mouthed to him. Damon nodded his acknowledgement before flashing off into the kitchen.

"Sup Saint Stefan. So kind of you to cook me breakfast, little bro, but I'm more of an O negative kind of guy these days." Damon drawled sarcastically. Stefan glanced over at his brother and rolled his eyes.

"It's for Elena." Stefan replied, focused on chopping an onion.

"Right." Damon said lowly with a smirk. He could hear Elena tip toeing down the stairs and—for the first time in his life—he thanked Stefan for sticking to his bunny munching diet, or else there wouldn't have been a doubt in his mind that they'd have been caught. Well, he could always snap Stefan's neck, but he'd rather not go _that_ far. Another plus that Damon noticed was that Stefan was distracted, pondering whatever goes around in that head of his. By this point, Elena had more than likely reached Damon's car, all he needed was to follow and everything should be smooth sailing from there.

That is until Stefan realizes his girlfriend is gone.

"I better get going, lots of stuff to do." Damon called out absentmindedly as he walked out of the kitchen. Stefan ignored him, thoughts of Elena consuming his mind completely. Damon crossed the distance from the kitchen to his car in the blink of an eye, startling Elena who sat quietly in the passenger seat. She pressed her palm against her racing heart as she sent a glare in the dark haired vampires direction. Damon could only chuckle in response, she looked like an angry kitten. The quirk of his lips widened at the unintentional nickname.

"Ready to go kitten?" Damon teased. Elena's eyes widened a tad at the pet name, but a twitch of her lips revealed her amusement.

"Kitten?" She questioned with a half-smile in place. Damon just shrugged in response, and twisted the key in the ignition, starting up the car. Then the duo was free, escaping the premises of the Boarding House, leaving it fading away in the rear view mirror. The weather was fair that day, and the temperature was perfectly cool. Elena rolled her window down to get a taste of the breeze, and Damon followed suit soon after.

After a while of driving around town, Damon asked, "Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere but here." Elena turned to look at him without a trace of hesitancy.

Damon licked his lips as he pondered where to bring the beautiful doppelganger, drawing Elena's attention to his oh so tempting mouth. She remembered the way they kissed every square inch of her body less than an hour earlier, and she had to discreetly cross her legs when heat began to pool delightedly in her lower belly. She bit the inside of her cheek and turned her attention to the rich green fields that surrounded the vehicle.

They were on the outskirts of Mystic Falls, Elena realized with surprise. Perhaps he was going faster than she thought.

Damon's jaw clenched, and his fingers tightened along the stirring wheel as he looked at the brunette looking out the window from the corner of his eye. He could smell the sweet scent of her arousal from the moment it permeated his car, and it tested every ounce of control he possessed. Her taste was addicting; he'd realized from the first brush of his tongue against her core. He wished more than anything that he could be with her every second of every day, whether that be by her side during one of Mystic Falls' many founding family events or holed up in the seclusion of his room. Although, right now, he'd honestly prefer the latter.

Forcing himself to focus on the road in front of him, he futilely tried to ignore how tight his jeans were getting as flashes of Elena in various positions came to mind and the sound of his name spilling from her lips when she came apart in his arms echoed in his ears.

That last part did it, breaking through every layer of self-control he'd so carefully constructed, causing him to turn off onto the closest deserted and hidden road he could find, hastily bringing the car to a sudden stop. Elena's eyebrows furrowed and a puzzled expression crossed her features when she saw the tension in his posture. Unconsciously, she began reaching over the console to rest her hand against the flesh of his cheek.

"Damon? What's wro— "Elena was cut off when his lips crashed down abruptly onto hers. Her surprise was taken over by the need to get closer to him, causing her to twine her arms around his neck.

"Why…do you have…to be so… tempting." Damon panted between fierce kisses. He drew Elena into his lap, growing annoyed with the console between them, so that she now straddled him. She smiled against his mouth and continued to devour him like the world's tastiest dessert.

Elena couldn't get enough of the feeling of Damon under her, or of the intoxicating sensation that rippled through her entire being each time she ground her hips down into his. She could feel the hard length of him with each downward thrust and she yearned to remove all trace of the fabric between them. As if reading her mind, Damon popped the button on her jeans and jerked down the zipper. She fumbled awkwardly trying to slip off both her jeans and panties while he freed himself from the restricting fabric of his pants.

They're eyes locked as she lowered herself down onto him, and then they were one, both their eyes closing as the pleasurable sensation ripped through them. Elena used Damon's shoulders for leverage as she rose up off him before sinking back down onto him once again, prompting a low moan from her throat. Damon's hands moved to grip her hips, guiding her on and off him. Soon they were rocking together frantically for their impending release. Right about to pitch over the edge, Elena grips the back of Damon's head and pulls him down to kiss him hard, muffling her pleasured cry as she shattered into a million pieces. A couple thrusts later, Damon's release overtook him as Elena's name spilled from his parted lips, and rested his head against her heaving chest, spent.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what brought that on?" Elena spoke quietly into his damp, jet black, hair.

"Just can't keep my hands off you," came Damon's swift reply. A lazy smirk grew on his face when he breathed all of her in. If someone had told him exactly where he'd be now a couple days earlier, he'd have broken their neck. After all, he'd been searching for a way to open the tomb to save Katherine, so that he and she could spend the rest of eternity together. Yet, somehow, this particular human enraptured him more than even Katherine had during his human life in such a short period of time.

Damon marveled in the moment that was all their own, and decided he wouldn't change a thing. If searching for Katherine had lead him here, then maybe he should thank the curly haired vampire, but in order to do that, he'd have to open that tomb. Opening the tomb would certainly enrage Stefan too, which was just another bonus. _Ah, why not? Besides, it'd give Stefan less time to mope_ , Damon smirked at the reminder that he was the one to get the girl this time around.

Wind echoed through the trees around them, breaking Damon out of his reverie. He pulled away from Elena and tucked himself inside his pants before zipping and buttoning them closed. Elena took the hint and began slipping on her own clothes with some assistance from Damon. Elena climbed over the console to deposit herself in her seat, feeling sated and relaxed as he drove off to their unknown destination.

* * *

 **Hey peoples! This is the first part of the Delena alternate ending. I hope you enjoyed it, and just you wait- there's more to come. Please read and review; it's always appreciated.**


	2. Bree's Bar

**Brief Lapse in Judgement**

Chapter 2

"Bree's Bar?" Elena looked at him incredulously. "I'm underage, in case you forgot."

Damon looked over to her, "Live a little, Kitten. Or you could always stay locked up in the car…"

Elena shook her head, unbuckled her seatbelt, opening the passenger side door, and exit the vehicle. Damon strode to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist, and lead her inside the bar.

"No, no it can't be. Damon, my honey pie." A tall dark skinned woman called out from behind the bar. Damon fixed a confident smirk on his face and brought Elena over for introductions.

"Bree, this is my girlfriend Elena. Elena, Bree." He introduced gesturing to each female respectively. Bree scrutinized Elena and shot her a cool smile in greeting and Elena shot her a slight grin of her own. Bree began pouring shots for each of them, sliding them in front of Damon and Elena on the bar. She grabbed one and lifted it high in the air for everyone in the bar to see, gaining the attention of a couple of the people mingling around the bar.

"Listen up everybody. Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness. Drink up." Bree toasted with a wry smile, and then knocked the strong drink back like a pro. Tilting her head to face Elena she raised an eyebrow at her, "So, how'd he rope you in?"

Elena blushed at the blatant question, yet a part of her disliked the implication of the words _roped in_. It implied being used, or that it was against her will, and this was definitely not the case. "I wouldn't say I'm roped in, actually I was dating his— "

"Honey if you're not roped, you're whipped. Either way, just enjoy the ride." Bree cut in with a knowing look on her face. Damon cocked a brow at Elena—as if to say _really?_ —with a wicked grin dancing across his lips, reminding her of each of the naughty excursions they'd done in the better part of the morning.

"Okay… So how did you two meet?" Elena looked up from the barstool to stare head on into the older woman's face. Bree chuckled, refilling their drinks.

"College." Her response elicited an incredulous expression to overcome Elena's face.

"You went to college?" Elena laughed.

"I've been to college campus, yes." He replied languidly. Damon threw back the newly poured shot, savoring the burn as the liquid rolled down his throat.

"About twenty years ago when I was a sweet young freshman, I met this beautiful man, and I fell in love, and then he told me about his little secret, made me love him even more. Cause you see, I had a little secret of my own that, uh, I was dying to share with somebody." Bree recalled with glazed eyes as she replayed memories of the past.

Damon leaned over to Elena and stage whispered, "She's a witch."

"Changed my world you know." Bree returned to the present and nodded in his direction with a half-smile in place.

"I rocked your world." Damon's retort drew a laugh from the experienced witch.

"He is good in the sack, isn't he? But mostly he's just a walkaway joe." the witch downed another shot before turning away from the both.

Elena's face grew red and she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip. Raw desire seemed to pour out of her being as flashes of what they'd done that morning, and in the car on their way here, flittered through her mind. Without a doubt she knew that Damon knew his way comfortably around the bodies of the opposite sex. A shot of jealousy bit into her at the thought of how he acquired this knowledge over multiple decades. Reaching onto the bar for the shot of tequila, she gripped it tightly, unhinging her jaw to slam the smoldering liquid down her throat. She grimaced at the taste and had to fight down the cough that fought to escape her. At this point, anything that would distract her from Damon right now, she'd give a go.

"So, what is it that you want?"

Damon got up from the barstool and waved Bree over to an emptied part of the bar for more privacy, leaving Elena alone to her thoughts. He led her to a table with two chairs across from each other, sitting down into once before gesturing to the other with a wave of his hand. It only took a minute to catch her up, but it still didn't get him anywhere close to the answers he needed.

"Come on, there's gotta be another way." Damon prodded the witch.

"After all these years it's still only Katherine. How do you even know she's still alive?" Bree questioned. Damon knew that what he felt for Katherine had faded, leaving only the trace of feelings that one might have had of a person that they'd known and loved long ago, but were now over. Elena was evidently a major factor in this recent development. Not that he'd mention this to Bree. He had too many enemies to worry about; he didn't need them taking advantage of this new weakness of his. Just the thought of some other vampire taking their revenge out on Elena caused fury to course through his veins, and he had to fight off his vampiric features from making an appearance in the populated bar.

"Well, you help me get into that tomb, and we'll find out."

"I already did, twenty years ago, remember? Three easy steps: comet, crystal, spell."

"A little problem with the number two; I don't have the crystal." Bree scoffs at Damon's response and rolls her eyes.

"That's it Damon. There's no other way. It's Emily's spell."

"What about, new spell, new crystal that overrides Emily's spell?" Damon suggested.

"It doesn't work that way, baby. Emily's spell is absolute; you can't enter that tomb." Bree said, a note of finality in her voice as she looks at the vampire sternly. Damon sighs silently, glass of bourbon in hand. Well there goes that plan. He felt as though he owed it to Katherine to set her free. He may not want her romantically anymore, but that didn't mean he wasn't grateful for all that she showed him during his human life on that miserable path as a soldier. His father had wanted glory for him and the family for his role in the confederacy; he'd die for a cause he just didn't believe in. Katherine was incentive to disobey his father's direct orders, and he'd done just that. She made that time in his life bearable; along with his little brother Stefan.

Damon drags himself onto his feet, reluctantly walking away from the witch. Skimming the crowd for Elena, he doesn't see her, sending warning bells to his brain. Using his enhanced hearing, he hears her outside on the phone with Stefan.

"Elena, is that you?" Stefan questioned worriedly.

"I'm here." Elena spoke after a moment of silence, unsure what to make of his withholding of information.

"Where are you?" Stefan demanded.

"You lied."

"Not 'til I explain, please." He tried to speak to her calmly. He didn't want to make her any more upset than she already was.

"So, you didn't lie?" Elena snapped.

"Just tell me where you are so that I can come get you."

"How am I connected to Katherine, Stefan." The brunette stated more than asked, chewing on her lower lip as she anxiously awaited his response.

"I honestly don't know," came Stefan's pleading response.

 _Bullshit_ , Elena thought angrily, and scoffs, "And I'm supposed to believe that."

"It's the truth, I, listen— "

"The _truth_ , Stefan, is that I can't be with someone who can't be fully _honest_ with me. We're done." Elena snapped and then abruptly hung up on him. She stood there for a couple minutes trying to calm her heavy breathing. For a moment she regretted her actions since she felt that Stefan deserved to hear the truth from her in person, not over the phone. Not to mention the crushing guilt she felt for having slept with his brother, multiple times today, without telling him. Turning around, Elena slammed into a hard chest, causing a startled gasp to break loose. Looking up at Damon, she sent him a glare.

"Don't _do_ that." Damon smirked at Elena's irritation.

"You okay?" Damon became serious. Elena let out a frustrated breath. They may have slept together, but Elena still had no idea of Damon's current feelings towards her. _Did he actually care for her? Was she just a temporary fix for him until Katherine came along?_ Utter agony ripped through her. Elena wondered why she even cared for his view on their whole situation. Damon was only supposed to be her ex-boyfriend's brother, not the guy she was sleeping with behind his back. Queue the hoard of guilt that slammed into her, causing her to snap at Damon's innocent question.

"Don't pretend to care. I know you're gloating inside." She moved to storm off but Damon's sudden grip on her wrist halted her. He spun her around until they were chest to chest and narrowed his eyes down at her, glaring into her own.

"That's the thing, Elena. I _do_ care, and I _shouldn't_. I'm the fun brother; I'm not supposed to care about anyone or anything, yet I do. _I care for you_." Damon spoke forcefully as if trying to ingrain his words into her skull. Elena gulped as his words registered with her and she stood there looking at him, frozen. She didn't know what to say, so she didn't. Instead she walked away from him, going into the bar without a backwards glance.

* * *

Minutes later found Elena downing as much alcohol as she could find. She didn't want to believe what Damon told her, but in that moment she could see every miniscule emotion that glowed from his expressive eyes. She saw lust, adoration, and something else, something fierce and all-consuming. And whatever it was, it terrified her. It frightened her because she knew deep down that that unknown emotion was rising strongly within her too, ready to devour every inch of her being.

"Your turn, girl." A woman told her, handing her the pool stick for her to take her turn. Elena grabbed the offered stick and walked around the table to line up the queue ball with the ball of her choosing. Bending over the table, Elena guided the tip with her left hand while she got ready to thrust her right hand forward to make the shot, trying to ignore the holes she felt being burnt into the back of her jeans. She knew who was staring at her, and was attempting to not return his gaze and stay concentrated on her game, yet she knew it was futile.

Moments later she felt familiar hands on her waist, pulling her bottom back against the person's body. Elena felt him lean over her, leaving every inch of her body in contact with his, making her more distracted than ever. Hot breath ghosted over the shell of her ear, eliciting a shiver to roll down her spine.

"Like this." His deep voice dripped with seduction as he righted her hold and helped her hit the ball right into the hole. She could feel the change in texture over the front of his pants as they stood up right together in one swift motion, and had to stifle her gasp. Luckily, before she could give into the urge to pull him into a secluded corner and have her wicked way with him, her phone began to ring.

"I have to take this." Elena muttered, keeping her eyes away from his as she walked off. A quick glance at her screen showed that her Aunt Jenna was calling, probably wondering where she was.

"Jenna!" Elena greeted once she stepped outside.

"Elena? Are you okay?" Jenna started, her worry evident in her tone.

"Hmm? Yeah. I'm good. Is everything okay?" Before she could comprehend a word of what her Aunt was telling her, a hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her and causing her to drop the phone in surprise. Elena tried to struggle away from her capturer, but it was no use; they were too strong. Her vision began to gain black spots, and then everything was dark.

* * *

"Hey, where's your girl?" Bree asked, searching the bar for Elena while Damon lounged on a barstool across from her. Damon began to look around the room.

"Hmm. She was right back there…" He trailed off.

Bree gave him a look he couldn't decipher, and then he walked briskly outside into the cool night air in search of Elena. Damon looked around the parking lot, but it was vacant of people, only the cars of the occupants in the bar remained. The breeze tickled the back of his neck as he turned his head left and right, scanning the horizon. With his head tilted to the right, the reflecting of the moon's light against metal caught his attention. Moving closer to the unknown object, he was quick to recognize it: Elena's cellphone. Looking around again with a stab of panic hitting his heart, he cautiously made his way around the side of the bar to see Elena tied up against a steel pole a couple dozen yards away from him.

"Damon no!" Elena cried as she struggled with her restraints. Damon ignored her and began to come closer to Elena. Suddenly a blurred form zipped by him and pain exploded in his thigh, the blow forcing him onto his knees. The figure began raining blow after blow onto whatever flesh it could reach on Damon's body; Damon spotted the object hitting him to be a baseball bat.

"No!" Elena's voice was closer to him then before; _had she gotten free?_ Before he could confirm his suspicions, liquid was being sloshed all over him—gasoline by the smell of it. Then it stopped, and Damon could finally see the man's face. His attacker had short dark hair, a pointy nose, and stubble lined his strong jaw as he looked over at a human Elena with his fangs on full display. His body shook with repressed fury as he glared at her for interrupting his revenge. He was breathing heavily and after a couple seconds, he continued pouring the rest of the gasoline all over the raven haired vampire.

"Who are you?" Damon growled, glaring at the foreign vampire with ire.

"That's perfect. You have no idea." The vampire scoffed, a look of agonizing pain coming over him.

"What are you talking about? What did he do?" Elena demanded confusedly from behind him. The vampire turned to face her.

"He killed my girlfriend." He turned back to send a hateful glance at Damon. Elena was still incredibly confused and was grasping at straws now to keep the vampire from hurting Damon any further.

"What did she do to you, huh? WHAT DID SHE DO TO YOU?" He roared, taking another jug of gasoline and pouring it all over Damon. Damon was still in immense pain with most of his bones being fractured and could only groan in response.

"I don't understand." Elena called out to the vampire.

"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan," Elena furrowed her brows at the mention of Stefan before tuning back into the vampire's speech, "and Damon killed her, got it?" The vampire's shoe came in contact with Damon's face, prompting another groan from Damon. Blood trickled from Damon's nose and the impact pushed him onto his side before he rolled back over onto his back.

"Lexi." Elena murmured. "Lexi was your girlfriend? She told me about you, she said that you were human."

"I was." Lexi's lover replied softly.

"Lexi turned you?" Elena yelped when he turned to Damon with a murderous glint in his eyes. Damon was still thoroughly incapacitated at the moment to defend himself in any way, shape, or form.

"When you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever." Damon took that moment as an opportunity to attempt to rise off the ground, only to be punched back down by the vampire.

"She loved you. She said that when it's real you can't walk away."

"Well that's a choice you're not going to have to make." He promised threateningly.

"Don't. Don't. No, please don't hurt him!" Elena pleaded desperately. Damon was on his hands and knees now, gasping for breath. The vampire stood over him now, and then lit a match. His face was suddenly bone tired as if he held the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"I'm doing you a favor."

"Lexi loved you, and she was good, and that means you're good too. Be better than him. Don't do this, I'm begging you! _Please_." Elena pleaded once more with tears beginning to stream down her face. Lexi's lover looked down at Damon's pathetically quivering form with disgust and loathing and hissed out a quick breath. He gripped the lapels of Damon's leather jacket, bearing his teeth into Damon's face, and lifted him into the air, leaving Damon's feet to hover almost completely above the ground. The vampire glared at Damon one last time and threw him backwards into a stone building, his bones cracking with an audible _snap_.

"Thank you." Elena whispered. Her eyes kept darting to Damon's prone figure, and she itched to run to him, but didn't trust the vampire in front of her to turn her back on him.

"It wasn't for you." He hissed, voice laced with unbelievable pain as he recalled the woman he used to know and love. The vampire stared at Elena for a short moment with eyes clouded in misery, and then, in the blink of an eye, disappeared into the night.

Once Elena was sure that the vampire was gone, she raced over to Damon and dropped to her knees beside him. Pained creases in his features lay prominent as he gazed into the starry night with dazed eyes. Her hands moved to cradle his face delicately, as if he were a shard of glass that was just on the brink of shattering into a million tiny pieces.

"Are you okay?" Elena rasped.

"I will be." Damon croaked and then managed a teasing smile. "Are you gonna kiss it all better?"

Elena snorted and smacked his shoulder, and regretted the action immediately when he groaned. She opened her mouth to apologize when she saw the wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Let's go home." Elena muttered, rolling her eyes at his antics. Before she could get up, Damon's hands grabbed either side of her face and pulled her face to his for a lingering kiss.

"Go to the car. I have some unfinished business to attend to." At her probing gaze he appeased her, "It'll be quick, promise."

* * *

Damon walked out of Bree's bar with only a couple drops of blood on his t-shirt. Luckily the black t-shirt concealed it fully from being seen by anyone if they were to pass him. He'd cleaned the blood off his hands with a rag and left it by her rotting body. Damon considered cleaning up his mess, but decided he'd rather get Elena home as quickly as possible. Preferably before her Aunt caused a ruckus and called the Sheriff. Opening the door, he could see Elena fast asleep in the passenger seat. He jumped into the car and started the engine, beginning the long journey to Mystic Falls.

Hours later, Damon pulled into the Salvatore Boarding House driveway with a still sleeping Elena next to him. The moonlight filtering into the car's windows highlighted the angles of her face. Damon's eyes remained glued to her serene expression, and the lack of stress lines enunciated her youth.

An urge of protectiveness swelled up through him. He remembered the day's events, how she still hadn't fully given herself to him; body- yes, mind- no, emotionally- maybe. He'd already admitted to himself that he felt something for her, but it was obvious—to him at least—that she felt the same; Elena just had to admit it to herself. And he'd do everything in his power to get her to do so. Elena's brow furrowed and her expression grew tense.

Absentmindedly, Damon brought his hand up to her cheek, brushing the length of her face in a soothing gesture. A content sigh escaped her parted lips and she leaned into his palm; even in sleep she was seeking his touch. A burst of affection exploded in his gut as he gazed down at her. He didn't want to wake her, but he had to bring her inside. He knew that he should have brought her back to her own home, but he couldn't bring himself to part with her yet. Damon wanted to keep Elena close to him for as long a time as he could.

Damon silently opened the driver side door, shutting it behind him with a muted thud, and ghosted to her side. He hefted Elena in his arms bridal style, her hair blanketing over his shoulder as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck. Since his arms were fully occupied with a sleepy human, Damon used his foot to carefully nudge the car door shut. Unfortunately, the slam of the door was much louder than he intended for it to be, and shook Elena into a semi-conscious state. Elena hummed against his neck, feeling at utmost comfort in the arms of the cerulean eyed vampire.

"Damon?" Elena murmured as she tightened the grip she had on his neck. The skin of Damon's neck vibrated from the force of her muffled voice, almost causing him to shiver.

"Elena." Damon replied simply against the top of her head, breathing in the smell of booze, the night air, and something that was distinctly Elena. Her eyes fluttered open, sleep blurring her vision as she tried to make out her surroundings. She gave up pretty quickly, choosing to shut her eyes tightly and press herself closer to the warm body holding her.

"Where…" She trailed off sleepily.

"Boarding House." Damon muttered. He began to leisurely make his way toward the front door, climbing the steps steadily in order to not jostle her into fully consciousness.

"Stefan." Elena perked up in panic, moving her head back to look at Damon with wide eyes. Damon paused and focused his hearing on the inside of the house. Nothing. It was dead silent.

"He's not here." He reassured and pressed his forehead gently to hers. She continued to look up at him uncertainly, searching his eyes for any lingering doubt. Finding none, Elena leaned in closer to him, brushing her lips against his once, twice, three times. Damon pushed into her further, deepening the kiss. They kept it slow and sweet, savoring the moment as the world fell away from around them. Elena yawned, causing them to break apart.

"Bed time for the human." Damon chuckled. Elena would've rolled her eyes at him if she had the energy to do so, and instead chose to tuck her head into the safety of his chest before promptly dozing off once again.

Damon shook his head in amusement with a quirk of his lips and swiftly carried her up the set of lengthy stairs towards the bedrooms. The occasional creak of the stairs was the only sound that could be heard, echoing throughout the house. Damon paused at the top of the stairs, hesitant to assume that she'd want to take refuge in his bed for the night.

 _Hell with it_ , Damon thought stubbornly.

The raven haired vampire carried Elena the rest of the way to his room, maneuvering her body around to open the door, and quickly shutting it behind him.

Damon's shoes sunk into the thick plush carpet that adorned the floor. A pair of double doors that lead out to the balcony stood wide open, allowing a pool of light to illuminate the black comforter and sheets on the bed. Damon laid Elena's sleeping form gently on the bed, taking off her shoes, socks, and shedding her of her clothes. He walked over to his closet to grab her one of his shirts before carefully slipping it on her, leaving her in nothing but his shirt and her underwear. Damon pulled the blanket over her, tucking her in, and lowered himself to place a lingering kiss on her temple. Damon righted himself, and stepped away to strip himself of his clothes and shoes. He plucked a pair of sweats off a hanger and changed into them quickly. The vampire gazed down at the brunette that lie peacefully in his bed. He never got the happy ending; something always came up to disrupt anything blissful in his life. Damon longed for a constant piece of good in his life, and a potential candidate was here, right in front of him, totally unaware of his presence—at least to his knowledge.

Elena shifted in her sleep, as if a part of her was awakened by his intense stare. She felt his eyes on her, even in her state of drowsiness. When awake, his proximity was intoxicating. Elena felt that she could pinpoint his location in a crowded room by that alone. When asleep, a cocoon of safety enveloped her being, making her tense muscles relax subconsciously in his presence.

"Come to bed." Elena's voice was muffled by the pillow that her head was buried in. She looked adorable with her long hair billowing out on the pillow behind her, and with the pout she threw at him planted on her face. Damon smirked at her.

"Before the first date, Miss Gilbert? Scandalous."

"Hypocrite." Elena retorted. Damon snorted at the truth in her words, and climbed in beside her under the covers, facing her. Heat emanating from her curled around his body, urging him to lessen the short distance between them. Elena unconsciously scooted closer to him, closing the gap, until her head rested against his firm and bare chest. Damon's arms automatically moved to wrap around her, pulling her impossibly closer.

"G'night, Damon." Elena sighed, and if it weren't for his heightened hearing, Damon wasn't sure if he'd heard her right.

"Night, Kitten." Damon whispered, eyes closing as sleep possessed him quicker than it ever had before.

* * *

 **Hey Everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm not sure if I should continue this story or not. I mean, I originally wrote this to be a one-shot, but as you can clearly see, it expanded. If you want me to continue this, I'll need at least ten reviews telling me to continue. Sound good? Thanks for reading, and please leave a review. Until next time, readers.**


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